Tourists rescued after kayak overturns in Hanover

The heroics of a community health aid worker and a local fisherman saved the lives of two American tourists, who were being dragged out to sea by heavy current after the kayak on which they were sailing last Saturday overturned off the Lucea coastline in Hanover.

The two heroes are 26-year-old Darrel Grant of St Simon district, and 41-year-old fisherman Jermaine Green of Lances River.

According to reports, Green, who had gone to the Lucea Health Centre to make his customary delivery of fish, was having a conversation with Grant, when a bus driver drove on to the compound, shouting that two women were seen in a section of the sea crying for help.

After rushing to the walls of the old fort, the men saw two women battling against the current. The men ran to a nearby pasture and cut the rope from a cow. Green tied the rope around his waist and Grant lowered him into the water.

"The water was dragging them further out in the sea," said Green, who was subsequently joined in the water by Grant. "When I reach them, we managed to get them composed and start to guide them back towards land."

Interestingly, it was not only the two women who were in the water. It was a family of four females grandmother, mother, and two daughters. However, two had managed to work their ways to an area where they were safe. They were subsequently picked up my fishermen, who had rushed to the area to assist in the rescue.

"The two that we rescued had bruises over their bodies but not major," said Green, noting that the women were grateful.

While Green and Grant were thrilled with pulling off the rescue, they were not pleased with the attitude of the management of the hotel from where the four Americans had sailed.

"When we went down there to return the kayak and tell them what had happened, they refused to see us," said Green. "The security guard would not allow us to pass the gate, not even to return the kayak."

Efforts to get a comment from the hotel proved futile as the management, through the security guard at the gate, said they were not interested in having the matter publicised.